270 



ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. 



PART irr. 



but generally inclined, branching, and rising from the root in twos or threes. 

 The leaves are 18 in. or 20 in. long, and 7 in. or 8 in. broad. The flowers are 

 7 in. or Sin. in diameter, with large white flaccid petals; they are placed on 

 the extremities of the last year's shoots, have a languid luxurious appearance, 

 and a sweet but heavy odour. The fruit, which is conical, is 5 in. or 6 in. long, 

 and about 2 in. in diameter. It ripens in America about the beginning of 

 October ; and in England in fine seasons, about the end of the same month. 

 It is of a beautiful rose colour, and contains usually from 50 to 60 seeds, 

 which should be sown immediately after they are gathered, as otherwise they 

 become rancid and losg their vital qualities; though, if enveloped in moist 

 moss or earth, they may be preserved for several months. This species is 

 very hardy, and can withstand the most rigorous winters, when the summer 

 has been sufficiently hot to ripen the wood thoroughly. As it is a short-lived 

 tree, and consequently flowers early, there is not the same objection to raising 

 plants of it from seed, as there is to raising plants in that manner of M. grandi- 

 flora, which is a long-lived species. 



Geography. The umbrella tree, according to Michaux, is first seen in the 

 northern part of the state of New York, and it extends on wooded mountains 

 to Carolina and Georgia, as well as Virginia. Though met with over a great 

 extent of country, it appears only in situations perfectly adapted to its growth, 

 which are always shady, and, where the soil is deep, strong, and fertile. In 

 the lower parts of South Carolina and Georgia, it is found only near the allu- 

 vial flats which lie along the banks of the rivers, and there it is accompanied 

 by the Magnolia grandiflora, but never by the Magnolia glauca, which is con- 

 fined to situations where, according to Michaux, the soil is black, shallow, 

 and often miry. 



History. This species of Magnolia was brought to England about 1752, and 

 soon after it passed into France, and was cultivated on the Continent generally. 

 In France and Italy it seeds freely ; and even in England, at Deepdene m 

 Surrey, self-sown seeds have produced plants. It may now be considered as 

 the commonest of all the magnolias ; because, though in point of beauty it is 

 not so popular as M. grandiflora or M. glauca, yet, as a peat soil is not 

 essential to it, it is more easily preserved. 



Soil and Situation. The soil should be a deep, rich, sandy loam, and the 

 situation sheltered and shaded. A situation exposed to the sun is injurious ; 

 and, trained against a wall, the plant suffers extremely. A sheltered glade, in 

 a shrubbery or wood, where it is sufficiently distant from other trees not to be 

 injured by the roots, is the most desirable site. 



Propagation and Culture. In the nurseries it is almost always propagated 

 by seeds, but sometimes also by layers. In either case the plants are kept in 

 pots until requiz-ed for final transplanting. 



Statistics. Magndlvs. tnpetala in Great Britai7i. The largest plants in the 

 neighbourhood of London are at Purser's Cross and at Syon ; and they are 

 about 30 ft. high. There is one in the Mile End Nursery 20 ft. high. The 

 largest in England are at Cobham Hall, in Kent, and about 36 ft. high. At 

 Walton House, in Surrey, there are plants 30 ft. high ; and at Bowood, in 

 Wiltshire, one 13 ft. high. At Golden Grove, in Pembrokeshire, there is a 

 tree 23 ft. high ; and at Croome, in Worcestershire, one 20 ft. high. The tree 

 does not thrive about Edinburgh ; and in the north of Scotland it is trained 

 against a wall. In the Perth Nursery there is one, trained against a wall, 

 16 ft. high ; and at Gordon Castle, one 14 ft. high. In Ireland, in the Glas- 

 nevin Botanic Garden, there is a standard tree 14 ft. high ; and at Pakenham 

 Hall, in the province of Leinster, there is a standard tree which in 10 years 

 has attained the height of 10 ft. 



Magnoha trip)etala in Foreign Countries. In the Ghent Botanic Garden there 

 is a standard 25 ft. high ; and one at Sceaux, near Paris, which has attained 

 the same height in 12 yeai's. At Schwobber, in Hanover, there is a tree 25 

 years planted, which is 30 ft. high. The species is in most of the Continental 

 botanic gardens, in France, Belgium, Holland, and the south of Germany, as a 



